Tuesday (10/24/06)
The COMPASS Test - A User Interface Nightmare 1:58 pm
This morning I found myself sitting in front of a PC at Chemeketa trying to fill out the form preceding a COMPASS test. It shouldn’t (key word: shouldn’t) have been too hard, since they were basically just asking me to tell them all the info they had already requested on my admissions application.
Mistake Number 1: Rhetorical Questions Suck
The first mistake was made right off the bat–they already require an enrolment application with all this same information, why do they need it twice? They don’t.
This whole post would not exist had they just been satisfied with one copy of just about everything there is to know about me, but apparently that’s not good enough. And they already have my social security number, so shouldn’t they know all of this anyway?
But since when did things have to make sense.
Mistake Number 2: What’s My First Language Which Is English That Isn’t English?
If you’re wondering what the heck the above subheading is about, then I’ve already made my point. Because that is exactly what I was asked towards the beginning of this whole thing. On page 1 or 2 of this 9 page ordeal, I was asked if English is my first language. I selected yes, filled out the rest of the page, then moved onto the next section only to find a huge dropdown menu in which I was to select my first language.
What?
Like…didn’t I just say it was English?
Thinking that I perhaps selected the wrong choice on the previous page, I go back to check. Nope, I said English was my first language. Whatever.
So, I begin to tackle this massive list, only to realize that English isn’t an option. I don’t know, maybe it’s just me…But does that make sense to anybody here? If you don’t believe me, I have the results sitting next to me and will scan and upload them to Flickr if I have to prove myself.
Mistake Number 3: Only Build Descriptive Error Reporting If You Know How To Figure Out What the Error Is
Somewhere along the line I’m asked for a phone number. Never mind the fact that they will receive it with all the applications they want, but I fill it out in a typical xxx xxx-xxx fashion anyway. The rest of the page is filled out, so I attempt to continue.
But nothing happens.
I click a few more times before finally seeing an error message saying that only numbers, parentheses, and dashes are allowed in my phone number. Thinking that perhaps the area code requires parentheses, I add them and attempt to continue–but to no avail.
So, I take out the space between the area code and other numbers. Still no good.
I take out everything except the numbers leaving a mess that looked something like “xxxxxxxxxx” and it still won’t let me through. Now after trying all sorts of bizarre combinations, I just delete the area code completely and… it works.
So apparently, spaces and dashes have nothing to do with the fact that you won’t accept my phone number, and it has everything to do with the fact that you don’t want an area code?
I’d really like to see the test scores of whoever designed this. 
I eat food. I listen to music. I sleep. Sometimes. I drink lots of coffee. I make pretty pictures. I talk to people. I believe in things. I write stuff. I take photographs. I have a laughing addiction. I am human. 
That scares me, seeing I have to take that Friday. Heh. That system is so messed up.
Seasoned pro here. *pats self on back, then falls on face* The testing system isn’t the only thing that’s screwed up. While many are drawn to the price and location of aforementioned school (hey, I’m not complaining), some of the textbooks, buildings and parking lots could use an update as well.
Not that I want to disillusion anyone (but more just to show that I read Elliot’s blogs occasionally), from over 20 years of life in the corporate world (and having spent time at 3 different universities before that), let me just say that it doesn’t really get any better.
The problem with systems is first, people. As long as people put them together (and usually not by the people who need to use the system), systems will be flawed, sometimes redundant, obsolete and often superfluous.
If, by chance, you find a system that actually works well, the 2nd law of thermodynamics kicks in (the one that says that “everything falls apart”), and it’s only a matter of time before it too is obsolete, redundant and/or superfluous.
Which brings us to the lesson of The Matrix: The system is based on rules. Some rules can be bent; others can be broken.
That is what college is all about.
The other lesson, which Elliot has already learned, is that every frustrating or painful situation is a topic for a good blog post.
Wow what the Heck I put my real name down. Man I must be getting guffy in my old age.
Hay I don’t beleive you. I want to see a scanned coppy of that test put up on Flickr [hay somebody had to say it.]
Another Interesting Post elly. I thank Heavens I’m not going to College for another year.
What The Heck. How am I supposed to post this. All I see is a “Publish your Thoughts button”. Elly elly elly… Guys like me need a “publish your absolutely Pointless and anoying rantings” button. Gosh get with it.
[…] Friday, 9:00-12:30ish: Chemeketa. Placement Test, and I hung around with Sharon and Kala, sat in on their history class which was fun… Strange but fun. And all I can say about the placement test is that I agree with [url=http://www.elliotswan.com/2006/10/24/the-compass-test-a-user-interface-nightmare/]This Friend of Mine[/url] I did pretty well, though, so that was good. He was so right about the redundancy and everything, though… if you haven’t read it, do. And the scary part is that it is right on. […]